If you're female, chances are you've been the subject of street harassment. I know I have. I've been followed, catcalled, jeered at, and asked how much I go for. And my experiences are, unfortunately, almost universal. Venessa Marco, a slam poet, has been there too. After she walked up to a bodega and the man behind the counter said, "You look like the kind of girl who can swallow," Marco wrote and performed a kick-ass poem called "Patriarchy."

Most responses to "Patriarchy" have been positive. One viewer wrote that "Her response was not only nonviolent, but intelligent." However, another wrote that it was "just another excuse for her to perform...REAL bravery would've entailed her challenging [the man at the bodega]." Although I think Marco's poem is masterful, you can judge for yourself by watching the video below:

Button Poetry on YouTube

"See how quickly you become a mouth again? A cavity? A temple and brothel, both cathedral and Jezebel?"

Because I really can't resist, here's another poem by Marco and and Tonya Ingram, "Khaleesi:"